Samsung teams with carbon fibre specialist

Samsung has revealed that it has made a new material partnership which strongly suggests that it will be leaving plastic mobile phones in the past.

The new partners will be known as the Samsung SGL Carbon Composite Materials, which will provide parts to be used in the company's electronics products, according to a press release.

Samsung has received criticism in the past that it couldn't match the premium feel of rivals like the HTC One and iPhone 5, though this hasn't damaged the company too badly as it is still the dominant force in the smartphone market.

The South Korean manufacturer said the move would make it a "leading player" in building carbon fibre devices, which is a strong indication that plastic handsets are a thing of the past for Samsung.

Chief executive and president of Samsung Petrochemical Yoosung Chung said: "Lightweight materials have become an important factor not only in industrial applications but also the consumer end markets such as digital media."